AbstractThis report has reviewed the culture of Korea by using Hofstede‟s five dimensions of national culture (1997). Culture is defined and critique of the five dimensions is discussed, followed by the analysis of Korea culture that shows significant contrasting cultural values with Western countries. Moreover, stereotypes of Korea seem related to the power distance and collectivism culture, deriving the strong bond in nationalism and respect to seniority. Regarding interpersonal communication, interaction is more indirect and passive with silence, which is perceived in four meanings: truthfulness, social discretion, embarrassment, and defiance. Non-verbal in particular plays its important role when communicating with Korean. Recommendations are given to student who might want to go to Korea for placement or working experience after graduation.

INTRODUCTION
The world is becoming a global market for rising and emerging

businesses, more and more enterprises (e.g. HSBC, IBM, Coca-Cola etc.) expand their business to foreign countries or spread over into the other continents (e.g. Asia). Employees are given more opportunities to work overseas and may encounter plenty of challenges and difficulties in foreign countries with different culture (Luthans and Doh 2009). When I was doing my Higher Diploma, I was selected to work in the Economic and Trade Office of Hong Kong Government in China as an intern. During the time, I met a lot of officials from different place and culture, one of them mentioned that the geographical mobility of students nowadays was relatively low; they were not willing to work out of their home country and explore new environment, which could widen their sights and enrich their experiences, this phenomenon also weaken the competitiveness of a country in long-term (Bonin et al., 2008). As a result, overseas working experience at an early stage would be beneficial to students and encourage them to get prepared before they face the real challenge in the society after graduation.

For myself as an international student, although placement year is not compulsory, I am willing to work in one of the most advanced technology-leading countries after graduation, Korea (South) (stated as Korea in the following). Its importance in the global economy is growing rapidly (Steers, 1999), especially its research and development in broadband technology that is currently leading the world (State of Internet Report, 2010), it attracts me to start my career path there. However, cultural factors should 4 Case Study Report on South Korea

Intercultural Business Communication

2011

also be considered carefully, different cultural customs can cause negative effects for business (Chaney and Martin, 2007).

1.1

BACKGROUND OF KOREA Korea's population is one of the most ethnically and linguistically

homogenous in the world, virtually all Koreans share a common cultural and linguistic heritage. Korean society remains highly imbued with Confucian values and beliefs, moreover, along with other Asian countries, Korea has been recognized to have very contrasting cultural values with Western...

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... 1
Table of Contents 2
Executive Summary & Introduction of SouthKorea 3
Cultural Analysis & components 4
• Values & Attitudes
• Manners & Customs
• Personal Communication
• Social Structure
• Education
Impact on International Business through culture 6
• Power Distance
• Individualism
• Uncertainty Avoidance
• Masculinity/Femininity
• Long-term/Short-term Orientation
Conclusion 8
Reference List 9
Executive Summary
In this report, I have chosen SouthKorea as the selected country. This report will feature a cultural analysis and expand on several cultural components of SouthKorea. This report will also explain how the unique culture of SouthKorea will impact international business, and what businesses need to consider in order to operate effectively in SouthKorea.
Introduction
SouthKorea is a developed country in Northern Eastern Asia that occupies the southern half of the...

...Negotiations with SouthKorea &amp; Germany
Instructor
Joe Kanelo
Alejandro Garza
February 8 2013
Introduction
Globalization has become a permanent factor in how business takes place in modern times. Cultural differences now affect not only tourists, but also entrepreneurs and academics facing challenges in working internationally. Business negotiations vary depending on a multitude of elements, however in this particular essay I will approach the matter from the perspective of location where they shall take place. For the purpose of investigation, the subjects analyzed are Germany and SouthKorea apropos creating a good business environment. The aspects under consideration will mostly be cultural, based off of Hofstede’s 5-D dimensions model and other sources. Other cultural elements to consider are punctuality, appreciation of rules, time planning, personality, and communication.
Contents
International members of business organizations now face the challenge of undermining negotiations abroad. They have to work in close contact in various locations in which culture may be an elusive concept to them as they intrepidly tread new ground. These people have to find ways in which to interact and communicate with people from other countries different from their own. Germany is an important country in international business. Germans have their own onset of...

...http://geert-hofstede.com/south-korea.html
2. http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10551-009-0095-z#page-1
What about SouthKorea?
If we explore South Korean culture through the lens of the 5-D Model, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of South Korean culture relative to other world cultures.
Power distance
This dimension deals with the fact that all individuals in societies are not equal – it expresses the attitude of the culture towards these inequalities amongst us.
Power distance is defined as the extent to which the less powerful members of institutions and organisations within a country expect and accept that power is distributed unequally.
At a score of 60, SouthKorea is a hierarchical society. This means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organization is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralization is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat
Individualism
The fundamental issue addressed by this dimension is the degree of interdependence a society maintains among its members. It has to do with whether people´s self-image is defined in terms of “I” or “We”.
In Individualist societies people are supposed to look after themselves and their direct family only. In Collectivist...

...SouthKorea Sociocultural ReportSouthKorea is a country in East Asia, on the southern half of the Korean Peninsula. To the north, it is bordered by North Korea, with which it was united until 1945 (Oberdorfer, 1997).To the west, across the Yellow Sea, lies China, and to the southeast, across the Korea Strait, lies Japan. By far the largest city is the capital, Seoul; approximately one-third of the country’s population lives in or near the capital (Cordesman, 2002).The population is overwhelmingly ethnic Korean; roughly half are non-religious, with the remainder divided between Christians and Buddhists. The history of SouthKorea has seen five major constitutional changes since the country was founded in 1948 (Cordesman, 2002).
After passing through a series of autocratic regimes prior to 1987, SouthKorea is now a multi party democracy (Oberdorfer, 1997). However, it continues to struggle with aspects of its 20th-century history, under both Japanese and military rule. Despite numerous efforts at reform, allegations of corruption and human rights abuses continue. The South Korean economy has advanced rapidly since the end of the Korean War, when it was one of Asia’s poorest countries. It is now the 11th largest economy in the world, and one of the most technologically advanced (Cordesman, 2002)....

...﻿Culturalstudy.
Traditional food habits of the Italians.
Breakfast (Colazione)
The traditional Italian breakfast (prima Colazione) is different from the English full breakfast. It consists of caffè e latte (hot coffee with milk) or coffee with bread or rolls, butter, and jam. A cookie-like hard bread called fette biscottate and cookies are commonly eaten. Children drink hot chocolate, plain milk, or hot milk with very little coffee. If breakfast is eaten in a bar (coffee shop), it is composed of cappuccino and cornetto (frothed hot milk with coffee, and a pastry) or espresso and pastry. Other products such as breakfast cereals, fruit salad (Macedonia), muesli and yogurt are becoming increasingly common as part of the meal. However the traditional Italian breakfast varies by region and by season. In some regions such as Tuscany and Umbria, in the past, people used to drink red wine (notably Chianti) in which they would dip their biscuits. It is also very common for some Italians to have a quick breakfast snack during the middle of the morning (typically a small panino, or bread roll).
Lunch (Pranzo)
Lunch is traditionally regarded as the most important meal. Most shops traditionally close down in the pausa Pranzo (lunch break) between 13:00 and 16:00. In most schools, children are given a lunch break when they can go home for lunch, or eat at the school cafeteria, or eat a packed lunch. Since the introduction of fast foods, takeaways and...

...Cultural Analysis, SouthKorea
This analysis is based on a two-day visit to Suwon, SouthKorea, a city of about one million inhabitants near Seoul, and a one-day visit to Seoul, the capital city, population over ten million. 1. Ascription/Achievement There were many indicators that Korea is heavily ascriptive. One contact there told me that he was unable to get a job he applied for because he would have been older than his boss, which is considered unacceptable. He said that the first thing the interviewer asked him was “Given your age, why would you want this position?” He indicated that this is a common problem for people who, like him, want to change careers in mid-life. Because employers insist that superiors be older than their juniors, an older person can’t easily hire into an entry-level position to learn the ropes. My contact mentioned a prominent website that matches job hunters with employers, which specifies for each job the birth date after which an applicant must have been born in order to apply. He also said that his own employer, an American, has encouraged him to undergo additional education in the U.S., but that this would be pointless for him because he would not be able to enter a Korean company as a new hire due to his age. A second example is a Korean contact who speaks both Korean and English at work. He has a colleague who is ethnically Korean but was raised in...

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SouthKorea: Economic Overview
Economic history and projections:
The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in SouthKorea expanded 0.80 percent in the first quarter of 2013 over the previous quarter. GDP Growth Rate in SouthKorea is reported by the Bank of Korea. Historically, from 1970 until 2013, SouthKorea GDP Growth Rate averaged 1.73 Percent reaching an all time high of 6.80 Percent in March of 1988 and a record low of -7 Percent in March of 1998. SouthKorea relies mainly on exports for their economy. After the Asian financial crisis in late 90’s, South Korea’s economy grew at an average 1.1 percent on a quarter over quarter basis, mainly because of exports, which is half of its GDP. SouthKorea is the world's leading producer of displays and memory semiconductors and the second largest shipbuilding producer. Yet, the high reliance on exports together with a limited domestic market and a rapidly aging population are the main threats to the future growth.
Economic Indicators:
GDP real growth rate: 2.7%
GDP -per capita (PPP): $32,400
population below poverty line: 15%
Labor force: 25.18 million
unemployment...

...www.kewpid.com
Globalisation Case Study: SouthKorea
by Dan Nguyen
1 of 6
www.kewpid.com
Globalisation, an important characteristic within the contemporary economic environment, has resulted in signiﬁcant changes to individual nations in terms of economic development strategies undertaken by national governments. The term globalisation refers to the integration of local and international economies into a globally uniﬁed political, economic and cultural order. Globalisation is not a singular phenomenon however, but a term to describe the forces that transform an economy into one characterised by the embracement of the freer movement of capital, labour, technology, and ﬁnancial ﬂows.
It is often difﬁcult to determine or categorise and economy as being globalised, yet there are several key indicators that suggest economic management decisions of an economy have in fact been undertaken as a result of globalisation. The main evidence that suggests the burgeoning existence of globalisation is resource use patterns, and the establishment of intergovernmental agreements, as well as transnational corporations. Globalisation has essentially been driven by the breaking of economic barriers between different nations over the last half-century. The global markets have experienced economic liberalisation, resulting from the global drive for the deregulation and micro-economic reform of national economies. These...